Photoshop beta removes objects — and the shadows, reflections and ripples they leave behind

Adobe’s new Related Elements mode can erase an object along with its surrounding traces, but the more capable fix uses generative credits and needs careful checking.

Adobe’s latest Photoshop beta adds a more ambitious version of the Remove Tool, one that can tackle not only the object itself but also the traces it leaves behind. According to Adobe’s community announcement, the feature, known as Related Elements and previously shown as Trace Erase at Adobe MAX, is designed to detect shadows, reflections and other nearby artefacts so that a removal looks more complete and less obvious.

That matters because object removal has long been one of Photoshop’s most common retouching jobs, and one of its most frustrating. The standard Remove Tool can erase the main subject, but it often leaves behind the kind of residual mark that gives the game away: a shadow on the ground, a reflection in water, ripples, splashes or a change in light where the object once sat. Adobe’s own help documentation says the Remove Tool is intended for brushing over or looping distractions so Photoshop can replace them, but the newer Related Elements mode goes further by trying to infer what belongs with the object itself.

In demonstrations shown by PhotoshopCafe, the beta feature was able to remove a car together with its shadow, a reflected object along with water splashes, and even a kayak, paddles and the ripples created around it. In another example, it stripped out people and the airborne chalk powder surrounding them. The practical appeal is obvious: tasks that would otherwise require several passes with the regular Remove Tool can sometimes be handled in one operation.

There is, however, a trade-off. PhotoshopCafe notes that Related Elements uses generative credits, while the standard Remove Tool does not. The same demonstration says the Related Elements pass costs 10 credits and an additional Enhance step costs another 10, which makes the feature potentially expensive for users who rely on it frequently. That is why a more selective workflow may be sensible: for a clean subject with a simple shadow, the ordinary Remove Tool may produce a better result without consuming credits, whereas a more complex scene with reflections, splashes or scattered traces may justify the extra cost.

PhotoshopCafe also points out an important caution with Enhance. Although it can increase detail in the repaired area, it may also alter parts of the image outside the section that was removed. The suggested workaround is a non-destructive one: keep the enhanced result on its own layer, add a black layer mask, and paint back only the section that needs improvement with a white brush. That leaves the original photograph intact elsewhere and gives the editor control over how far Photoshop’s changes extend. Adobe’s own guidance on the Remove Tool already encourages precise selection and adjustment of brush size; the new beta feature simply adds more automation, with the usual need for careful review.

For now, the clearest conclusion is that Related Elements is best treated as a specialist option rather than a default setting. It can save time when an unwanted object is entangled with its surroundings, but it is not always the most efficient route for simpler fixes. As PhotoshopCafe concludes, the feature is useful, but it should be deployed with judgement rather than automatically every time an object needs removing.